Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Alibaba Group chairman Jack Ma sparred against each other on Thursday on subjects ranging from the dangers of artificial intelligence, the need to explore Mars and the future of education.

Most discussions about artificial intelligence are characterised by hyperbole and hysteria. This could end up turning people against AI research, bringing significant progress in the technology to a halt.

SpaceX’s latest launch, due to be launched on Tuesday morning South African time and billed by Elon Musk as the company’s most difficult ever, has the potential to be extraordinary for a whole host of reasons.

The launch of 60 Starlink satellites by Elon Musk’s SpaceX has grabbed the attention of people around the globe. With Musk planning for up to 12 000 satellites in low-Earth orbit, this fleet could forever change our view of the heavens.